Only Two Citizens Register Barnyard Animals Under Century Ordinance

February 27, 2014

Only two Century citizens voluntarily registered their non-conforming barnyard animals with town hall during a 60 day grace period following the passage of a strict animal control ordinance.

Residents of the 7900 block of Jefferson Avenue registered 2.5 miniature horses, explaining that one is pregnant and due in June, and a resident of the 9300 block of Old Flomaton Road registered one horse, according to town records.

As of December 23, it became illegal to keep a horse, mule, donkey, goat, sheep, or cow within the town limits except in areas that are zoned agricultural or rural residential. Hogs were already prohibited in all areas of the town.

One horse or cow is now allowed for every two acres, one donkey or mule per acre and one goat or sheep per one-half acre. The animals and their pens must be 200 feet or greater from a dwelling or property line.

Anyone with the regulated animals in an area not zoned agricultural or rural residential within the town limits, was required to register their animals at the Century Town Hall within 60 days from the passage of the ordinance. Anyone with nonconforming  animals must apply for and be granted a variance from the town council within six months or get rid of their animals.

Century Mayor Freddie McCall, the town’s planner and an Escambia County Animal Control officer plan to start making site visits Thursday to properties where they believe non-conforming barnyard animals should have been registered to urge compliance.

Pictured inset: Council member Jacke Johnston reads the new animal control ordinance during a December 23 meeting. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

21 Responses to “Only Two Citizens Register Barnyard Animals Under Century Ordinance”

  1. M in Bratt on February 28th, 2014 6:59 am

    The question I have is; Why does the City of Century even exist?
    They provide no police or fire protection, they contract the garbage, the library is operated by the county. Yet they collect taxes as if they provide some service. It looks like water and gas and roosters are all they govern. Sell the water and gas systems to pay off the debt, let the ECUA pick up garbage, and send this mayor and council home to roost

  2. perdido fisherman on February 27th, 2014 10:26 pm

    I feel that folks who want big city rules should move to big cities. I love the small town atmosphere of Century. This town has always had the laid back country feel and i like to see the diversity of animals around the community. I do not belive people should have to get rid of thier animals if they have always had them on the property.
    i don’t like that people are being forced to give up animals that provide food for some folks, forcing them to have to buy meat and dairy from big corporations that use steroids and other drugs in our food. These animals also have a theraputic affect for some. you people complaining need to move to the big city if you don’t like the sights, sounds, and smells of small town America.

  3. Biscuit on February 27th, 2014 7:20 pm

    My opinion, the town would smell alot better if that whole counsel was gone. This is a big joke in my book!!!

  4. justme on February 27th, 2014 5:20 pm

    .Just my opinion and I know everybody, has an opinion but I think the barn yard animals need to be in the country and not the town limits. I think there should also be a leash law for all dogs also cats should be kept inside and not be able to roam in neighbors yard and do there business. I also really stress the code enforcement should stand there ground and clean up the yards and porches with no junk. Some really look bad, and if you are not sure if it is your’s that looks that way you need to step back and take a look. I ride by sometimes and I think my goodness they really don’t care what it looks like. And you know them side streets show a lot of junk to in the back yard. But I really wouldn’t worry to much about the barn yard animals, because they haven’t did anything about the code enforcement as far as I can see.

  5. melodies4us on February 27th, 2014 5:17 pm

    I hope they don’t get Nazi about chickens where I live.

  6. David on February 27th, 2014 4:19 pm

    What the town council dont understand is this.
    The town council thinks people are not taking them serious.

    Second part, watch the town council see how serious the people are on the legal aspect of this and the council will be bankrupt.

    Philosophically the council already is.
    Financially ..it is coming from a legal aspect.

  7. mom on February 27th, 2014 4:13 pm

    so funny!!

  8. jeeperman on February 27th, 2014 3:33 pm

    So a horse or cow is restricted to a pen 95 feet x 95 feet.
    A donkey or mule is restricted to a pen 9 feet x 9 feet.
    There is no room left for one goat or sheep per half acre when you have to keep them 200 feet from a property line.
    And those figures are assuming the required parcels are square.
    And to think the town council paid a lot of taxpayer money for someone to write this ordinance.

  9. Amy on February 27th, 2014 1:29 pm

    Oh look, elected officials that can’t do geometry and have no common sense. I’ll take a nanny goat over a noisy dog as a neighbor any day.

    It’s hilarious that you can keep more “farm” animals in parts of Chicago than you can in many rural, tiny FL towns.

  10. shiloh on February 27th, 2014 1:05 pm

    Is it possible that the city council has made a boo-boo? Sure looks like it to me!

  11. cygie on February 27th, 2014 12:17 pm

    If I was a business looking for a home and read stuff like this about Century do you believe I would want to move there?

  12. Robert S. on February 27th, 2014 11:52 am

    Rural Geek has a point. I cannot even keep the family cat on a half acre as it tends to actually MOVE Around.
    Is it possible that even if one’s goat were on a piece of property large enough to make the city council happy but were to roam to one side of the fenced area that the goat would be in violation of the ordinance?
    Then what? Will the goat be arrested and charged with malicious meandering?
    I think the council has gotten everyone’s goat.
    Jeeperman, maybe one day someone will drop a lit cigarette near the leaking gas line and the location can be pinpointed and maybe fixed.
    Goat says about the ordinance, BAAAAAA….

  13. ME on February 27th, 2014 11:30 am

    I find it hilarious that the people of Century have treated this new ordinance like the joke that it is. Stay strong and keep standing up against the overreaching efforts of modern government.

  14. bewildered on February 27th, 2014 10:13 am

    I came up with the same statistics as Rural Geek a couple of weeks ago. It’s scary that the Century City Council does not at least revise their animal control ordinance to state “NO” animal can be kept on 1/2 acre or if kept on 1 acre the lot has to be of a peculiar size.
    Surely one of the council members has sense enough to realize that you cannot implement something that is impossible for the citizens to do,
    Watch out – next rule: Pedestrians can walk on the sidewalk in Century, however, they cannot take up more than 6 inches of side walk space.

  15. Joe Bagofdoughnuts on February 27th, 2014 8:18 am

    I hear y’all complaining now ( and I do indeed sympathize), but in the end, I will bet ya re-elect these same people.

    Prove me wrong!!

  16. Tom on February 27th, 2014 7:56 am

    I hate to break it to those in charge of Century, But this is not Pensacola or any other big City. The problem with politics in Century is only caused by those that wish for the City of Century to become a City like Pensacola, Me I am quite happy with my small town life like it is. I suppose if its in Century’s best interest? then go ahead and lets keep changing laws to align ourselves with the Greater Pensacola area.

  17. clint on February 27th, 2014 7:14 am

    Sounds like a duck dynasy episode.

  18. Rural Geek on February 27th, 2014 6:28 am

    I am not a mathematician, but since a square acre is about 209′ x 209′ it seems geometrically impossible for an animal on an acre to be 200′ from all property lines simultaneously. Absolutely impossible on half acre.

  19. jeeperman on February 27th, 2014 6:17 am

    One or more of your neighbors whined about some “barnyard” animals in the neighborhood. They evidently are very “influential” if you know what I mean.
    And so the Century Nazi’s declared barnyard animals to be illegal.
    Meanwhile, thousands of dollars a year of natural gas is leaking out of broken pipes under Hwy 29 in town.
    Maybe the Century Nazi’s think the stink is from the animals?

  20. United States Citizen on February 27th, 2014 5:22 am

    We are not a communist nation! People died for our freedom!! So who set this ordinance? Looks like Century wants to try and make money!

  21. 429SCJ on February 27th, 2014 5:22 am

    Maybe one day the diary of a young Century girl, who was forced to hide her pet goat or whatever from the Animal Police, will be found and made into a best selling novel and perhaps a movie.

    People will be turning their neighbors in for the reward money, so that their illegal animals can be taken away and disposed of, by agents of the council, in the dead of night.

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